File photo: Yousef Jabareen, leader of Israel’s Arab-led Joint List political alliance, (Centre-L) and other members cheer at the alliance’s campaign headquarters
Vote tallies show the two main Arab parties on course to win around 19 seats, nearly double their current representation in the Knesset. Arab citizens of Israel, who often identify as Arab Israelis or Palestine citizens of Israel, comprise 20% of the population, or roughly 2.1 million people. Data from Israeli ministry of health and Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in Israel show Arabs account for over 20% of physicians, nearly a quarter of nurses and almost half of licensed pharmacists. Cabinet representation was limited to individual appointments, including Druze lawmaker Salah Tarif in 2001, Labor’s Raleb Majadele in 2007, and later Issawi Frej and Ayoob Kara. A significant change came in 2021 when Abbas’s Islamist Ra’am joined Naftali Bennett-Yair Lapid’s ruling coalition. Earlier reporting noted: Israel election: Arab parties projected to win record 19 seats but may not be ‘kingmakers’ Arab-led parties are projected to win a record number of seats in Israel’s parliament. The Joint List and Ra’am, two Arab-led political groups, are projected to win a combined 19 seats in the 120-member Knesset, Israel’s parliament. Partial results show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc with 54 seats, while the opposition alliance led by Gadi Eisenkot has 49 seats. Neither side has secured the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-member parliament.
Because of its support for Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and occupation of southern Lebanon, jabareen said the Joint List could not join an Eisenkot-led govt. Because several Jewish-led Israeli parties oppose forming a government with Arab-led groups, observers say their electoral gains may not translate into government power. ” Netanyahu’s Likud party confirmed it would not negotiate with any Arab party to try to form a govt.
Yousef Jabareen, the leader of the Arab-dominated Joint List, said his party would seek to use its projected 12 seats “to facilitate getting rid of Netanyahu’s govt and hopefully helping to change the political situation in Israel”. “We have our demands to protect our community, to advance the rights of our community and to promote equality for our community,” said Jabareen, speaking from his home in the Arab town of Umm al-Fahm. He said senior members of Eisenkot’s bloc had discussed a possible deal with him even before the election. “Not a chance,” spokesman Guy Levy said at the party’s headquarters in Jerusalem. Honaida Ghanam, director general of the Palestinian Forum for Israeli Studies in Ramallah, said this political exclusion limits the ability of Arab citizens to turn their votes into influence over government decisions, as quoted by Al Jazeera.
Israel’s Arab parties appear to secure a record number of seats in parliament and could emerge as kingmakers after strong turnout in Tuesday’s election. The two main parties are Yousef Jabareen-led Joint List and Ra’am, led by Mansour Abbas. But he left open the possibility of bolstering Eisenkot’s bloc from the outside, propping up a minority govt that could survive confidence votes. “Everyone is talking to us, not just the change bloc. A few days ago, a very, very senior member of the right approached me. “It’s not even a question that should be asked. They are central to the medical sector. Two Arab citizens have served as Supreme Court judges, while Arab engineers, scholars, writers and athletes, have visible public roles. For decades, Arab parties provided outside support to governments. This could give them a stronger position in talks over the formation of the next government.
Earlier reporting noted: The election has not produced a clear winner so far. Earlier reporting noted: However, Arab parties are not yet certain to become kingmakers. Speaking to Israeli television after voting wrapped on Tuesday night, Ra’am chief Mansour Abbas said: “I believe we can overcome the difficulties … and I think that most voters for the (Eisenkot) bloc do want to see (a) govt with the Ra’am party.
